TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (Jan. 10, 2013) – The No. 71 ETSU men’s tennis team brought the Crimson Tide Indoor Invite to a close on Saturday, dropping two of three doubles matches to No. 53 Alabama and losing all six singles contests to No. 33 Memphis.

ETSU’s lone victory on the day came from the tandem of Juan Ramirez (Asuncion, Paraguay) and Jorge Varon (Valencia, Venezuela) in doubles, as they defeated Bama’s team of Daniil Proskura and Phillippe Tsangarides 8-6 on court two. The Bucs’ matches on courts one and three came up empty, and Memphis won all six in singles. Sophomore Rogerio Ribeiro (Sao Paulo, Brazil) took his match to the wire on court three, but fell in a final-set tiebreak to No. 64 Joe Salisbury 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4).

“I thought today was better tennis to watch.” said Director of ETSU Tennis Yaser Zaatini, having also seen the Bucs lose five out of six singles matches to Alabama on Friday, and take two of three doubles matches against Memphis. “Yesterday, we came out flat and without identity or intensity. Today was a better day; however, it was still far from being the team I know we can be.

“We’ll try and prepare as best as we can and do our best next weekend. We just have to accept that this is who we are and this is what we have got.”

Zaatini’s men’s team begins dual play next weekend, starting with No. 66 Wake Forest on the road in Winston-Salem, N.C. The very next day, the Bucs travel to Knoxville, Tenn., where they will battle Oklahoma State.